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Residents in the poorest areas of the U.S. are the most prepared for natural disasters, and for good reason — those regions are at the greatest risk of extreme weather events.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, those living in poverty tend to be clustered in certain regions. The greatest percentage reside in rural regions of the Southern U.S. It's those Southerners who, according to insurance company Travelers, are most prepared when it comes to dealing with disastrous weather.

"Derechos, hailstorms or terrible tornadoes, the Gulf states have got all that," along with tropical storms and hurricanes that frequently blow through the region, says Patrick Gee, senior vice president at Travelers.

The Northeast and West, where people with the highest median income reside, are the least prepared for extreme weather, especially the cities.

About one in four Americans do not have an extreme weather event preparedness plan, and nearly one in three do not know what to do after an event occurs, according to Travelers.

"Americans seem to be overconfident and underprepared with regard to severe weather risks," Travelers found in its annual Consumer Risk Index survey.

Perhaps no better example of this in recent history is Superstorm Sandy, which caused massive destruction in the Northeast and killed hundreds of people, directly and indirectly, in 2012. Areas of New York City were washed out and left without power or municipal services.

Such an "unlikely" event caught people off-guard and unprepared, but that seems to be changing. A majority of people in the Northeast say they feel severe weather is becoming more frequent, up about 50% from last year's survey by Travelers. This can and should translate into better planning.

Gee attributes the change to last winter's chilly polar vortex and the subsequent wicked weather that blasted much of the Northeast.

No matter where you live, you should be prepared for the worst, but those who live in poorer areas often experience disasters at a greater rate, thus having little choice but to take extra precautions.

According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, poorer people are more likely to occupy dangerous and less desirable locations, such as flood plains, riverbanks, steep slopes and reclaimed land because the price is cheaper. The agency says infrastructure and housing are more apt to be less well-constructed in these areas and less resilient.

Whatever your income or resources — and wherever you live — there are steps you can take to be safer from natural hazards.

Gee recommends people get insurance and be properly covered for disaster damage. That's a self-serving message coming from an insurance man, but it's the truth.

Most people fail to complete a regular inventory of personal property. An easy trick to accomplish this is using a video camera (even on a smartphone) and walking around the house.

Routine maintenance is another smart tip to stay safe. That means cleaning gutters and checking sump pumps. Weather alerts that track the exact footprint of a storm are also important safety tools.

Technology can help keep important documents such as birth certificates, marriage, mortgage and insurance papers from being destroyed. Digital "safes" are available to house files in the cloud.

Though weather may not discriminate, it's wrath certainly does. Resiliency efforts on a municipal level should be better aimed at poverty-stricken areas.

According to Travelers, only 26% of Americans are prepared for extreme weather. On an individual basis, everyone — rich or poor, city dweller or rural resident — should realize they are at risk.